7 Pot Jonah seed from ottawapepper

ottawapepperJuly 17, 2012

I'm starting this thread as a central point to update everyone who received 7 Pot Jonah seed from me. I didn't keep a record of individuals I sent seed to but I do know I contributed 10 packets to Heathers annual swap in a box of bonus seed I sent her.

The purity of the seed I shared has come into question.

The vendor of the parent seed shows rounder, not oblong, pod formation.

Parent seed as well as child seed sent out is exhibiting an oblong growth pattern. If you are growing out Jonah seed from me and it doesn't look like these, please send me an email.

Original seed pods

New pods from shared seed

I have sent the vendor an email with pictures asking for clarification. I will update this thread when I get a response.

Until then I'll offer five possible answers...

1- the Jonah has a lot of variations in pod development and oblong pods are not uncommon;

2- I received seed that had crossed. Given the stability of F2 seed amongst a few members it's either a stable cross or this idea is busted;

3- I originally received mis-labeled seed. It happens.

4- I mis-labeled the parent plant pot last year. Unlikely in my opinion;

Personally, at this point, I'm going with #5. I did record a larger than normal number of Higgs boson particles in the area of the parent last year.

I know that some members say that when trading or receiving seeds saved by another member you should always be aware that you may receive a cross or two but I also understand that it can be frustrating to learn that after months of growing you don't have what you expected.

As this is my second post relating to crossed seed I've shared this year, I'm not happy happy. I pride myself on sharing true seed. I sincerely apologize in advance if you're disappointed with your results.

peppernovice, interesting. The pods are a bit distant but it does look like they have the rounder (true?) characteristic. Can you get a closer shot? Are all pods coming in that way?

Thank you Mark. I didn't want to post your picture without your permission.

DarJones, ya those yahoos at CERN wasted a lot of time and money. I sent them a note three years ago letting them know I had found Higgs boson particles in my yard, never heard back. I guess they just wanted to protect their jobs. Been powering my HID grow lights with a small fusion reactor for years, I guess that didn't impress them either.

Hey Bill would not have minded at all if you posted the pic I took. For some reason when taking the pic the pod looks smooth but it's not, it has more bumpy skin similar to the Bhut. Are yours that way also?

Bill, my pods are so much lighter in color. Are you saying these seeds are from the same plant? I'll get some close up pics tomorrow and post them. It just seems odd that mine would be a totally different color. I'm excited now to see how they compare in terms of heat. I wish there was a realistic way we could all send each other fresh samples. Maybe we can dry them and share to see how they compare.

Bill, do you have any thoughts on the difference in color? Is it possible that I somehow mixed my seeds up? I looked at some 7 pot pods online, and these seem to resemble the typical look of a 7 pot chile.

There are just too many variables to say for certain what my Jonah seeds were/are let alone why yours appear are a different shape and lighter.

I think the best outcome we could achieve is the vendor 1) says the pod variation is normal in this variety or 2) there was a problem with the original seed I received and others have reported it too.

If they can't explain it then no one will know 100% what they are and why they are like they are, we're left with speculations (although I'll still insist it was caused by Higgs boson particles).

Regardless of the outcome, it's an interesting diversion while we wait for our crops to ripen ;-)

Bill

p.s. I commented in another thread that a few of my plants are putting out lighter than normal pods this year. They are coming in normal in every other way. I speculated that it may be due to the uncharacteristic extended hot temps we're experiencing this season. Just guessing.

Thanks for the reply Bill. I sent some of the original 7 pot JF seeds to Jamie. I hope he plans on growing them in the near future. They are still in the bag you sent them in. They haven't been removed or manipulated. If his seeds grow out like mine, it should indicate a variation in the seed. If his grow like your's.......I may have screwed up. I'm a very detail oriented guy. I pay close attention to what I'm doing. Being a former Marine, attention to detail is drilled in my head. I am however human, so there is always the potential for me to make a mistake. I will continue to take pics and update you guys. This is my first time growing 7 pot plants. Would you say the general shape and size looks correct? It seems from your previous post, you are only concerned with the color. Thanks!

I heard back from the vendor this morning and they are scratching their heads as well.

The final answer is... wait for it...

it's a mystery.

If you put a gun to my head (which some might want to after growing these out) and asked me to take my best guess, using the following (safe in my opinion) assumptions:
- the vendors seed source is true;
- I received properly labeled seed;
- my saved seeds were not collected from crossed pods;
- I packaged and labeled the distributed seeds correctly;
- folks growing them out started and labeled the plants using the correct seed;

I would speculate that the original seeds I received developed to include the recessive genes from one of parents plants generations ago. Rare but not unheard of. Mathematically, it would take an infinite number of successive generations of a "true" variety to get the chances to zero. ex. even after 14 generations of selective breeding there is still a 0.0125% chance of recessive genes coming through. At 28 generations a 0.00625% chance, at 56 a 0.003125% chance etc. etc.

Then again, even though Edymnion disagrees, the larger than normal number of Higgs boson particles in my grow area may have played a part in this mystery.

Please do not distribute any saved seed as 7 Pot Jonah. We don't know what it is but we do know it's not Jonah.

peppernovice, I wasn't too concerned about the color. As for the "general shape", I've seen 7 Pots that look like yours but I've also seen Scorpions put our similar shaped pods. Some may say your pods look like a Habanero. In most cases you really can't 100% nail what something is by a picture alone.

And just to avoid any confusion as to what a 7 Pot JF is, it's a 7 Pot I received from a member years ago. Upon growing it over a few years I noted that the pods were generally and consistently a little smaller and didn't have pimples/warts/bumps as concentrated as other 7 Pots I've grown. It's a real 7 Pot in every other sense. I tagged the donors initials on for personal tracking and classification of my seed inventory. I was remiss in removing the JF when sending some seed out. My bad, again. Strike three for this year. If you want me I'll be in the corner sucking my thumb.

LMAO. I'll never reprimand someone who was kind enough to donate seed to me. You have been extremely responsible in notifying everyone if the seed is non-isolated. You have,in my opinion, fulfilled your obligation. You're not charging money for the seed. You're not promising someone they can win at the county fair. You are simply donating to someone who asked. I appreciate everything you do. This has merely added a level of excitement to my season. If anything, you should charge extra for that! :)

Bill - I'm finally getting a few blossoms after my setback from the deer. I'm looking forward to seeing what develops. Hope they survive while I'm on vacation. I'll be sure to spray the Liquid Fence again before I leave. I said earlier I had only one seed germinate. Now I see that I have 2.
John A

Mark, yes, they are hot. I think you should label the seed as 7 Pot Jonah Hb, not OP. Actually, OP (open pollinated) is not really an accurate description for non-isolated seed (heirloom varieties usually grow true even if OP). I think I'll start using NI or non isolated on labels.

John A, thanks for the update. Surprised you only had two germinate. How many did you start? Good luck with the deer while you're away!

I think it would be much easier if we all just labeled them 7 pot/pod. Some bumpy, some long ,some more ribbed, and some more rounder. And if you want to throw in a color that would be fine too. But that's just me. I am sure this will never happen though. I always call my plants what the bag of the seeds is labeled and I say op but I mean non islated . Just easier to write on the baggie:)

And Bill you are way too kind. I look forward to growing your seeds(Thank you peppernovice) and I if and when I get pods I will take lots of pictures like I always do:)

I grew out 18 of the 7 Pot JF seeds this year, one for me and 17 for market farmer friends. I was at the farm yesterday and sampled a ripe pod from their greenhouse. Exercise caution when you grow them out, they are the real deal! I think my mouth is still numb.

The Moruga doesn't scare me as much as the Douglah.
Yes it has hit 2 million SHU but there's a large fluctuation in heat levels even on the same plant as illustrated in the test results from the NMSU CPI:

Thing is, after Mark (habjolokia) caught the difference in pod growth I checked Jonah pod growth on the web and it's pretty much consistent with the first photo at the start of this post.

My Moruga's, and your 2nd shot, look similar to what I've seen on the web as Moruga. Chris (cmpman1974) posted a shot of his in a previous post and they weren't an exact match but close. At the time I chalked it up to natural pod variations in the 7 Pots and Scorpions.

Can you fire Butch a note with a link to this thread or my Moruga photo and see what he thinks?

With the exception of my 7 Pot JF and Trinidad Scorpion FG I'm starting to question every other 7 Pot and Scorpion variety I've grown now.

Is this what it feels like when you take the Blue Pill (Matrix not the other one!!!)

The TSM's I've tried so far only involve touching my tongue to the placental tissue. One of them was hot, but I could probably have eaten it... and been miserable afterward. The other took the tip of my tongue off. I'm sampling plant by plant now to identify which produce the hottest peppers. I expect that 3 or 4 of them will be hot enough and a few more won't make the grade. Right now, I have 4 or 5 ripe peppers per plant from 4 of the TSM's I have in the garden.

@Bill....I was curious about the heat level of the 7 pot peppers we are growing. When I looked at the heat scale you posted, I noticed the 7 pot can potentially be hotter than the bhut jolokia. Would you say the 7 pots we are growing hold true to that fact? I know you said you sampled one. Was it at or above the heat level of a ghost pepper? I'm just wondering where these peppers rate, and if I should anticipate a nuclear war head, or a bottle rocket.

I actually have 2 separate plants. They both have pods that look exactly like the pics I posted. It's dark here right now, but I'll post pics of both plants tomorrow. It's possible i got my seeds mixed up, but I really don't think I did. I only planted one type at a time, and I labeled each variety as I planted it.

I'm not as much confused by the pod shape as I am by the color. My pods are a lighter color than both of your pods. You both have the traditional dark green color. My pods almost have a yellow color. I looked up yellow 7 pot plants, thinking maybe the pods would be a lighter color, but they all seemed to be dark green as well. I know you guys say the pod shape and color can vary, but do you think it would vary that much?

Is it ok if I post a link here? I found a post on another forum where a guy is growing 7 pot red,brown and orange. The pics of his 7 pot red look exactly like my pods, while the other two varieties look more like the pods you guys are growing. Is it possible that I somehow have a 7 pot red, while you guys have yellow or another variety? Bill, is it at all possible you sent me 7 pot red( exact label was 7 pot JF).

@habjolokia.....Here's a pic of plant #2. They both look exactly the same. The pic of posted above of the 7 pot red, also looks just like them. The only thing I can assume is we are growing different strains of 7 pot plants. I don't think we can really say for sure until the pods start to ripen. If my pods turn red, I will feel pretty secure in saying they are 7 pot red. If they turn another color, I'm just a lost idiot. :)

peppernovice, I hate to break the news to you but you'll never (unless you can test DNA) determine exactly what you have. Even then, it could be tough. If my original seed had latent genes in abundance or it was seed from a crossed pod there's no way you determine what fruit from child seed will look like. Chalk it up to you're growing a non-stable unknown 7 Pot variety.

I also wouldn't make any assumptions based on the lighter colour at this stage. If the pod matures yellow or pink or orange with blue polka dots then you have something interesting. I've said before, I have a number of pods coming in lighter than normal this year. Here's a shot of some 7 Pot pods I'm growing from new seed sent by a friend. Beside the 7 Pot pods pictured below, One of my Billy Goat and Bih Jolokia are coming in lighter. I'm chalking it up the the uncharacteristically hot season we've been experiencing.

Note the tails forming on a few pods. Folks, this is a good example of variations in pods on one plant. I've had Scorpions come out like 7 Pots and vise versa.

Jim Duffy from RefiningFireChiles has written about the 7 Pot and Scorpions variations and has an interesting hypothesis on it (see link below).

Bill.....if I get a pod with blue polka dots, I'll have achieved master gardener status in one growing season. I will definitely give you all the credit! :) Please don't misinterpret my enthusiasm. I'm happy with whatever I grow. I'm just excited to put a small seed in a pot of dirt and have something sprout. Thanks again.

Ottawa, re pics of my TS Moruga, I am temporarily camera-less. I got seed from cmpman so you can guess they are the real deal. As a side note, one of my plants is producing distinctively hotter peppers than the rest though all of them are way beyond too hot. This tells me there is a lot of variation in the strain.

DarJones, thanks. Sucks to be without a camera. Do your pods look like the ones I posted?

Rick (rdback) if you're pulling my leg regarding my Moruga I'm going to hunt you down and make you eat a dozen ;-))

All the checking I've done since you questioned mine indicate that I'm growing the real deal. This morning I got confirmation it's true from a friend originally from Trinidad who's growing out my Moruga seed this year. Actually, in the next few weeks his cousin will be heading to the Moruga market to pick up some various pods to send to him. I will always defer to local experience in situations like this, you can't get any closer to the source.

Maybe You or Butch mislabeled the seed? I "think" I read (don't as where - it's all a blur right now) that Butch got his original Moruga seed from Chris (cmpman1974)?

You know, it is like Deja Vu....My son said something last night about 7 Pot peppers and I was like ???? I knew I has heard of them before but I went to do a little research on another pepper I was checking up on and look at where I end up!! LOL!!
I have been reading all your remarks and giggling at most of them!! Poor Rick!!! I hope he is not pulling your leg, Bill!!! LOLOL!!
I know I am probably too late to plant this season unless I was able to pot plant it as we are in the process of trying to move, but if you have seeds that you would be willing to send to us to try to grow we would be more than happy to let you know what happens. I am sure my son would "adopt" them as his own, give them names and they would be well taken care of (under my supervision).
Thank you, Sir, for your kind consideration.

Bill....I'm not sure what the JF designates on the seeds you sent me. I tried looking with google, but I can't really figure out what the JF is for. Are the 7 pot seeds you sent me supposed to ripen to red? Also does the JF designate the donor,strain, or something else. I won't know if there is a variation because I don't know what it is supposed to look like. Also, was the pepper you tried at your farmer market friends greenhouse the same as what you sent me?(mine were labeled 7 pot JF ottawapepper 2011). I hope to help you keep track of this, I'm just trying to figure out what "normal" should look like. Thanks! Here is the latest pic of have of the two 7 pot JF plants I'm growing.

Given the tenor of this thread, maybe you should sit in a corner and suck on a few nice pretty red ripe T.S. Moruga fruits. Doesn't that sound better than your thumb?

Yes, the pic on the plate above circled in green is pretty much a dead ringer for the fruits I am harvesting. You should have to get a license to grow these peppers. I cut a couple of them open in my seed room and had to vacate the place until the volatiles dispersed. It is strictly outdoors for seed harvesting now.

peppernovice thanks for posting the pics, your pods on the same plant seem to be generally the same. I do agree you have 7 pot's

My most ripe pod, pictured above that started to change something got into it and the bottom 1/2 got punctured a tiny hole and started to go bad, I plucked it and cut it open, the top 1/2 looked ok but I did not want to eat it. The smell was not like a bhut which has a fruity pepper smell, this had almost a BBQ smokey smell. Cant wait to try the next ripe pod.

rdbacks pictures are spot on to what the original 7 pot looked like, It was slightly larger, more wrinkled, would occasional have a stinger but usually a small one, and ripened light green, yellowish, orange then to red, the Trinidad Scorpion would go from a darker green to red without all the different colors. The 7 pot Jonah will readily cross as y'all can see in the different pictures, the pictures posted here of "Jonah" look so much like a Moruga its scary, since I wasn't growing them (Moruga's) I never saw the resemblance, till now. BTW what ever that shu test was performed on wasn't a Trinidad Scorpion bt, but something else, possibly a cross. I lost my Jonah seed this year in a grow-out accident (bad thermometer = cooked seeds lol) if anyone has any seeds from pods like rdbacks please pm me & let me how much $ or I'll swap you some real Butch T seeds for them!

What peppernovice said and Wow first time I've seen a post myself from Buch T. If you have time care to look at my post and comment on my Trinidad Scorpions with pic. link below. I picked these up from Valley View farms in MD.

Peppernovice, looks cool, it's always exciting to see pods ripen. Next step is to taste em lol. I always eat a pod of every pepper I grow. So far Ghost was my most brutal. I will be eating the 7 pot variety I have and the TS, new this season will let you know how it goes.

Mark...that's assuming you still have the ability to manipulate your body parts after eating those beast. When you say, "you always eat a pod of every pepper". Do you mean an entire pod? I have tried a piece of every pepper, but I haven't eaten an entire pod.

Thanks for taking the time to have a look and comment, it's very much appreciated... even though it means Rick was right ;-))

Interesting the original Jonah looks like the Moruga. From my experience they (the TS Moruga) go from green to red. No transition through yellow/orange like you said the 7 Pot did.

I'm sorry I don't have any 7 Pot seeds that grow like Ricks, if I did I'd happily send them to you, it's gotta hurt losing you last seed due to a heating issue. I do have a few Moruga seeds left that are growing true this year. The parent seed was from Neil at THSC. Let me know via email if you're interested.

peppernovice,

Sweet (aesthetically speaking) looking pod. Can't wait to year what you think after trying it ;-))

Thanks peppernovice! I just found the shapes interestingly similar, My original impression was the Moruga was way bumpier but the current pics are showing something different. I'm going to check with the original supplier of the 7 pot jonah too. As far as the Moruga seeds, I would like to grow them, just not now, there is too much misinformation about whats what, I don't want someone to claim I'm growing anything but the bt to keep at least a little part straight!

I appreciate your courtesy, but you don't have to thank me for respecting the reputation you worked so hard to establish. I only know what I've read, but apparently you have donated quite a bit to this hobby/industry. I just appreciate the fact you're willing to drop in and share your knowledge with us!

I just checked my seed stocks and, although I no longer have any of your original seeds, I do have seeds produced in 2009 from the plants of the seeds you sent. They're NoI, but I'd be happy to send you some. Send me an e-mail if interested.

In an attempt to continue/enhance this state of mind Bill, I submit the following. *smile*

In your OP you listed 5 possibilities, including:

2- I received seed that had crossed. Given the stability of F2 seed amongst a few members it's either a stable cross or this idea is busted

You may have discounted this one too soon. I have read, more than once, that THSC does NOT isolate. In fact, I recently read a thread (on another site) where the poster asked Neil directly, and that was Neil's response.

I've never asked THSC about isolation, but I don't buy seeds from them either.

I know that THSC does not isolate. Confirmed myself. Knowing this in advance I took a flier and have had mixed results.

I won't slag THSC for the same reason you mentioned contacting another vendor in a previous post. Granted you lose a season but in my experience Neil will make things right if he can. If he can't, he'll refund (the full order including seeds that grew fine in one case I'm aware of).

I think I've already stated in the earlier thread that was the reason for this one that I'll be refreshing/replacing my inventory with seed from another vendor.

Since we're back to the issue, when all is said and done, I was totally screwed up before you started messing me up ;-) Technically, I should have caught the "non-standard" pod growth last year before sharing seed. Could have avoided a lot of confusion.

Seriously, thanks for assisting on this one Rick. It was great to have yours and Butch's input!

I'm going to only grow eggplant next year as punishment. If anyone's looking for me I'll be on the eggplant forum.

Peppernovice, sorry must have missed your question. Yes the whole pod, at least once ;-) owe it to yourself after growing and the long wait. For the ghost once was enough and hard to swallow lol because of the heat. I enjoy the flavor when made into a hot sauce and can handle it better.

Hey Mark, I'm with you, ya got to at least try them once. If you live then try them again to be sure.

A few years ago I did a spot on our #1 drive home radio show. They have a weekly cooking segment and the host insisted I make a dish with the Bhut Jolokia. Just before he took a bite he nervously looked at me and asked "you have tried this before?". I said I don't think cops should be allowed to use tasers unless they've been hit by one at least once. I then reassured him that I won't feed anyone something I haven't already tried.

10 peppers of your choice
1/2 cup Vinegar 5% acidity of your choice
1/2 lemon or lime fresh squeezed
1 teaspoon of sea salt
Any veg of your choice mix and match if you would like
Clove of garlic, onion, carrot or what ever you like. I don't recommend anything that holds a lot of water like tomato's

Any other spices you may want to add for flavor.

It's fun and the key is to make it your own by trying different things and combinations until you have your sauce.

You can cook any way you choose, the peppers and veggies to soften.
Blend ingredients
Bring ingredients to a boil
Boil bottle and cap for about 15-20 min

Place boiling sauce into hot bottle. you take the bottle out of the pot and immediately put the sauce in it, cap it. Let it sit 24 hrs then enjoy. If you can let it sit for 3-5 days the flavors have more time to blend. I just can't wait that long only did that once.

Bill I like you take on the gotta try it once, great story, Man I am slacking, not been on any radio or cooking station lol.

Mark, ya, it was fun. I highly recommend you try it ;-) It was back when the Bhut was still the reigning hottest.

I did a Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi with a Mango Jolokia sauce. Only used 1/4 to 1/3 of a Bhut Jolokia and it was plenty hot. The host genuinly liked it and wolfed it down during the following news break.
I was talking to the host a few weeks ago and mentioned I was growing the Butch T, Moruga and Douglah this year as well as the Bhut. I may be getting a call for a sequel

Actually Mark, as of yesterday I can say I've tried them all. I grabbed a ripe Butch T pod from friends greenhouse.

If it wasn't the real deal then a real one would put me under!

I have previously tasted the Moruga and Douglah. The Moruga is hotter than hell but I still contend, at least to my pallet, the Douglah is deadlier. I couldn't get a piece of Douglah past my lips before it became unbearable.

I gotta say, after trying a piece, the Butch T is the nastiest SOB I've tried. I say this because it totally sucks you into a false sense of security then unleashes a neutron bomb in your mouth. I got in one munch and though this ain't to bad and what's that nice fruit flavour. After a few more munches I started to say Apple to my GF sitting across the table. I think I got Ap out when it hit. I guess the look on my face said it all to my GF. She got up, shook her head with that you're an idiot look and got me a quart of ice cream and a spoon, shook her head again with the same look and left me to suffer.

After 30 minutes I could talk properly again but the burn lasted quite a bit longer.

I guess I'm going to have to start building up my tolerance. I've tried 4 or 5 pieces of an unripe bhut jolokia, but that's the extent of my bravery. I plan on eating an entire pod when they are fully ripe. I just hope I don't lose my nerve. I had a friend that was going to do it with me, but I think he may back out. I thought I wanted to try growing the Butch T, but after hearing your assessment of it, I'm not too sure now. Did you guys build up your tolerance over time, or were you born with cast iron stomachs?

Well, the anticipation was killing me. I couldn't wait any longer, so I picked my 7 pot. It wasn't fully ripe, but about 80% of the pepper was red. I cut it open to save the seeds and received a big surprise. Take a look at the pic. Do you guys have any idea what could cause this? There were no visible abnormalities. I looked all over pepper and didn't find any holes or bad spots. It looks like mold, but I have no idea what would have caused it.

about building your tolerance, try eating a whole nuclear pod over a weekend. I've done it three times now over the last two years, increasing the pepper quantity each time. first time was a bhut, taking little slices at a time until reaching that line of hurt, and refusing to drink milk or other heat reducing aids. It makes for an intense weekend, but after each time, my tolerance multiplied exponentially. the only thing though, is after a couple months of laying off the heat, my tolerance goes down significantly, not to where i start from, but below the fresh nuclear level, which might be a good thing for your digestive track. You will most likely need a taster for your spicy creations afterwards though. My wife is never a a fan of newfound uncalibrated tolerances.

I've been sampling some super hots. I've just been eating small pieces at a time. It sounds like I just need to continue what I'm doing and amp it up a little bit. Thanks for the information chilemilio.

Hi Tim, Very nice and spicy looking thanks for the update with pic. Still waiting on mine to turn color. Still no uniformity on my pods, just all over the place.

I have a mystery plant that has green pods so waiting for them to develope a bit longer. They seem to match the original pods Bill posted of his. Will post updates when pods are ripe on both plants. Making me wonder if the first posted above was an environmental factor.

Hey Mark......all my pods look pretty much the same. They just seem to be lighter than what you and Bill are seeing. I have 2 plants and have only had 3 red pods so far. I'm going to give these pods a day or two, then it's powder time.

How are you? My son and I are new to the forum. Ottawapepper has been so kind as to adopt us into the pepper fold I guess you could say!! We are just now coming into the forum and past the planting season so we are going to be keeping up with ya'll about the 7 Pot as we intend to get those started (planted) when the time is right, and get ALL kinds of advice from everyone on how best to grow these peppers! My son will be signing on as Chef_JJ as that is a career path he is seriously looking into and why he is helping grow the peppers (another Bobby Flay???) LOL!

I do have one question for Ottawapepper....I thought at first I was zone 6a but in rechecking and by using zip code, which I did not do the first time, it shows I am in zone 7, how will this change my planting schedule?

Thank ya'll so much for being such a fun and exciting group!! I have thoroughly enjoyed following your thread!! Don't ever change!!!! :p

Bill thanks for being so kind but as we will be moving this coming June, I am limited to 4 plants for the 2013 season. Can't see us moving any more than 4 in the middle of the growing season.

MsAislig looking forward to having another new member Chef JJ and there is a lot of advice and people on this great forum. I live in zone 7 and start seeds Jan/Feb to get a good start on the slower growers 7pot and Ghost.

Thank you Mark for your warm welcome. I am sure my son and I are going to enjoy being part of the forum.

I thought Jan/Feb was still going to be the best time to get them started but I definitely was not sure about that. It has been awhile since I have done my pepper growing and this next season I am going all out and trying a little of whatever I can. I definitely have some reading up to do the next few months. Bill was kind enough to send me some peppers including 7 pot and 7 pot JF so I am going to have to stay in touch with ya'll and let ya'll see if and what I get next season. I am sure I will be in constant touch asking for advice!!

Again, thank you for your kind words! Good luck with your move (we are in the process of doing the same!)!

ME? SAMPLE A PEPPER FROM *?? >oAs for JJ, he still is plucking chicken feathers (still scared)!! We are making some of your BBQ sauce tomorrow (the last day you said the pepper would be good). We have got to go hit the grocery, etc. for everything we need. I think I will see if I can get him and my hubby and brother to try just a teeny tiny bit and see who survives!!!! Hehehehehe!! I will keep ya'll updated!!!

WIMP?!?!? WIMP?!?!?! ME??? A WIMP?!?!?!?! Naw, Weenie is more like it !!!! HAHAHA!!!!

Hey, I can't help it if I take after my Mom!! She is a Weenie too!! We just do not have the stomach for really spicy foods!!! However, she was telling me that my Granddad was ANOTHER FireEater...and apparently some of the HEAVY DUTY stuff!! I think she said she had to leave when Grandad started eating!!! LOL!!! With all that in the family you would have thought I would have ended up with SOME tolerance!!! PFFFFT!!! Not a bit!!! I can't even use Taco Bell hot sauce and you know how tame THAT is!!! All the guys on the other hand....they are the ones that can work the spicy stuff!!

The Caribbean BBQ sauce one? That is what you have it labeled as. So yea I guess it might be the "island" one.

Half or 1/3 the pod? You got newbies on the 7 pot here!! I don't want to have to call any ambulances ya know!!! LOL!! I am going to get them to try a bit first ( I guess I need 3 1/2 gallons of ice cream ready for tomorrow then, huh?) then, like you said depending on whether they are emptying the ice tray in their mouth or handling it with some glasses of cold milk or something, we will take it from there. And yes, BELIEVE me, my hubby and I are ALWAYS using the "any chef worth his or her salt tastes their ingredients first so they have an idea of how they will combine and enhance the final product." on JJ so we can get him to try new things. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't......just depends on the mood he is in.

So say a little prayer for us tonight...cause the guys are gonna need it tomorrow!!! If JJ tries it, I will see if I can get him to write his reaction on here tomorrow!! LOL!!

Peppernovice: One warning. The pepper gets much hotter towards the stem end. If you want some fun, offer a challenge to someone where you bite of the tip and then pass the stem half to the challenger. They have to deal with several times more heat near the stem where there is more placenta.

That's also a tip to acclimation to nuclear heat. Start slowly at the tip and then eat toward the stem over a weekend. It'll get hotter as you go, helping you get used to it.

On another note, one use of superhots that I really enjoy, especially Bhuts is to cut into thin rings and put into a Bloody Caesar drink. You can skip the Tabasco sauce if you do this. The taste of the Bhuts go perfectly with a Bloody Caesar.

I'm guessing Bill is not a fan of the Bloody Caesar. Thanks for the tips Capoman. I think I'm going to try my hand at making some sauce. I thought about using my Datil hybrids/Bill's mystery peppers and slipping in one of the 7 pots. If the hybrids taste anything like a regular Datil, it should make for a good taste.

hi this is Chef JJ, and here is my thought of the 7 pot pepper! this pepper made me think my career was over before it started and i never want to hear or see this pepper again!!!!!!! >:D wow i put a tiny piece in my mouth and i was DYING!!! the taste was sweet at first then i dont remember the rest cuz i was chewing on my shirt and eating icecream like MAD!!! i think im going to have a long recovery before i try another pepper!! LOL! thx for sending the peppers!! :) now we are making carribean bbq sauce. we will see how that turns out. YAY!! well talk to you soon.

Oh, if the sauce is too hot, you can mix up a new batch without pepper and mix them together to cut the heat in half. You can store extra sauce in the freezer. It won't freeze solid because of the honey but it allows you to keep it longer term.

Ok now THAT was fun!!! I hate saying it but I can't help it!! Chef JJ and his Uncle (my brother) were down for the challenge!! The challenge being that they were going to eat precisely a 1/4" square of flesh of the 7 pot pepper and exactly 3 seeds (omg! I was cracking up !). So, I cut it up for them and on go, they started chomping. JJ's eyes got as big as dinner plates and he didn't know whether to run screaming in circles, climb the wall or what!! So he resorted to begging for ice cream and sucking on his shirt until he got some!! I turn around and the next thing I know , he is out of his shirt, he's got his ice cream and he is eating it and rubbing it on his lips like lip stick!! My husband is sitting here telling me how he thought he was going to have to call the ambulance on the boy!! He said the look JJ gave him was such an "OMG what did u do to me?" look...LOL!!! Oh my!!!

My poor brother on the other hand, he turned red, got the sweats and for a while there I thought he had started praying, he had his head down and his hands clasped!!! Turns out he was just trying to gather his wits about him!! He dove into the ice cream as well. LOL!! My husband even tried a piece and yes, he sucked air for about 5 min. (his super duper hiccups on steroids).

You know, for those guys not having alot of pepper experience, I gotta give them kudos for going for it even with such a small piece.

JJ and I were talking afterwards about how to build up a tolerance to peppers so that he can eat more than just a little tiny piece. I told him it takes time to do it...many many years. Ya start at the beginning and build up. But he looked like he was really thinking about it...Despite his protestations, I think you guys may have snagged another PepperHead!!! :)

OH and Bill, we are trying ur Caribbean BBQ sauce - Chef JJ and I made some today! We used the pepper in 1/3's. When I said "Shall we use it in 1/2 like Bill said?" The looks I got just about melted me like the Wicked Witch of the West!!! I thought we'd better go with the 1/3rd!!!! Simmered some at 5 min and some at 10 min. We are going to let it set a day or two and see what happens!! We will let you know!!

Yeah, that's pretty brave, LOL. It really doesn't take years to build up the immunity though. The method I mentioned earlier works pretty well. Just start with very small pieces from the tip of a superhot, and work toward the stem can acclimate you fairly quickly. Of course doing the same with less hot peppers and working up over a short period of time works as well.

We also lose it fairly quickly. There are times when we go without capsaicin heat for a week or two heat for a change, or because of company, and we'll lose quite a bit of our heat tolerance in that short time. This also happens even if we are eating hot/pungent foods of other kinds such as wasabi or horseradish, which seem to have tolerances of their own. But once you have it for capsaicin, it doesn't take long to get it back.

I can officially testify in the court of heat that the 7 pot rivals the ghost pepper in flames! My wife and I cut this guy tonight. We were eating it with cheese,crackers, and mini pepperonis. We had ate about half and it was burning us up. I decided I should try a piece by itself. This was the only way I could get a fair comparison to the bhut jolokia. It is every bit as hot! It feels like you have a mouth full of lava. We still have a half a pepper, but my wife says I am officially banned from ever growing it again. She doesn't even want it in her yard. :) I saved the seeds. This was definitely a good one!

Uhm...Tim? If you are banned from ever having these even in your YARD, what, pray tell, are you going to do with those seeds?!?! ;p Naughty, Naughty!! If your wife finds out...!!!

Bill, well the guys could not wait...they wanted to try that Caribbean BBQ sauce 2nite!! Question: How thick is that supposed to be? Mine is not very thick at all BUT we used it over chicken tonight and IT WAS GREAT!! We needed to 1/2 that pepper though. Using it in 1/3 really took alot of the heat out of it. Even I was able to eat it - yes WIMP #1 actually tried it!! WoooHoooo!! There was still some burn in it but it was a just enough to let you know that it was there...waiting for you...telling you to come back with another pod on another day...!!! I mean for me it burned from lips to the back of my throat, for the guys it was just a nice tingling burn for them.

The flavor though of the sauce was just wonderful!! I thought my husband was going to float the chicken off his plate in the sauce !! He told me a few minutes ago McDonalds better watch out!! He is coming for their Chicken Nuggets and he is not ordering any of THEIR sauces to go with them!! There is a new Dipping Sauce in town!! LOL!! My brother loved it as well! He especially liked the thyme and the ginger that just is such a lovely part of the sauce! I can see we are going to be eating things using that sauce for the next week!!!

Unfortunately, Chef JJ is not a big fan of the thyme. I used crushed but maybe if I had used powdered and it had blended more, he would have been able to handle it better. Next time, maybe if I use only half of the amount of thyme he could handle it. I think he really wanted to try more but it was just too strong for him. Isn't that funny?? He can try a 7 pot pepper but that spice is too much for him? LOL! I told him it was OK. We have other recipes that I am taking off of the forum to try!! He will have his chance!!

This is really a wonderful sauce to try!! Very aromatic with the thyme , ginger, allspice, etc that it uses...it almost lulls you into a false sense that this is going to be a nice spicy addition to your meal. I keep thinking of those spicy rubs that they use in the deep South. It is not until you take a bite of the dish with the sauce added that you realize that there is more to this than those lovely aromatic spices!! Depending on how much 7 pot Pepper you add, you can go from a nice pleasant tingling burn to a "Holy Mary Pray for us sinners" burn that will have you on your knees!! A definite "ya'll gotta try this!"

I read this post and just died from laughter you really should have recorded that. I would have paid to see it lol, it would have been too funny. I have never seen a 7 pot pepper before but I think next year I will grow them because my fiancee swears he can take any heat and he really can't lol.

I am not sure if you mean my post or Tim's cause Tim's post had me almost cryin' for the poor guy!!...But i tell you what, your fiance is in for a rude awakening if he thinks he can take any heat and just wants to jump right into a 7 pot Pepper!! If you go up a few posts you will see what happened to my pepperhead son, brother and husband when they thought they we up to the challenge!!! And all I gave them of the pepper was a 1/4" square of the flesh, no veins, and exactly 3 seeds - HOW PATHETIC IS THAT, RIGHT?!?!?! The thing is we did try to video it but we had a new camera and did not get it turned on right so we missed it..if i did have that video..OMG it would SOOOOOO be on this site right now!!!!!!! I thought I was going to lose control of bodily functions I was laughing so hard at the insanity of these 3 Knuckleheads!!! Just wait until grow season and I can grow some, oh it is on AGAIN!!!

I went with the pepper on the right, cut it open and its smell's fruity and smoky very good smell.

once I had it cut open I took a pic then folded the two back together and;

1.....2.......3 threw it all in and MAN!! OHHHHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHHH so HOT!!! Lava in its pure form. Watery eyes and runny nose and Hot, felt the burn mostly in the back of the throat and roof of my mouth.

I can see this pepper as a good powder, rub, or even Hot sauce, before and after the burn it has a great flavor.

Bill thanks for these peppers, I like em! Last time though I will be eating whole.

Your a real man! I ate about a 1/3 or less by itself and it was a real task. I made it 10 minutes with nothing to eat or drink. The heat had subsided by that time. The real pain came about 2 hours later. My stomach felt like the pepper was trying to jack hammer it's way out!

Basically for that reason...residual heat and perhaps for some psyching the guys out as well...I shall NEVER tell Mwuahahahahaha!!!!!! >;) LOL!!

Seriously? I think it was mostly to psych them out!! I know alot of people believe some of the heat is in the seeds whereas we know it is mostly in the veins holding the seeds. I am not going to sit there and argue peppers with everyone so..... if they believe the seeds hold some heat OK, I can cater to that. When they are ready to listen, they will listen.

A follow up on your Caribbean BBQ Sauce: Remember when I told you I simmered some at 10 minutes and simmered some at 5 minutes? Well, the guys opened up a jar of the "5 minute" last night. I wasn't even in the kitchen and I heard "OOOH" "AAAAAWW!!" *sniff*, *sniff* *HICCURP* (that last one is my husband there with one of his nuclear hiccups/spasms)!!!!

I came around the corner and the three of them, Chef JJ, my brother and my hubby, were sitting there tossing down some more chicken with the sauce, noses running, nuclear hiccups activated and Chef JJ fanning his mouth!!

Now remember, JJ did NOT like the 10 minute sauce (supposedly) I just think it was such a big flavor change for him he wasn't ready for it. With his Dad constantly using the sauce though, I think he started to get used to it. The 5 minute sauce though, because it was hotter, he wasn't as concerned with the spices as he was with the burn so he sat there and said he loved it!!! HONESTLY, TEENAGE BOYS and you never grow out of it!! LOL!!!

They wiped out an entire jar in one sitting! Luckily, I used small mason jars so we have some left!! What knuckleheads!! I am going to have to laminate that recipe cause I KNOW that one is going to get used quite often around here!!!

I just want to know what the recipe is! You guys have to quit sharing recipes behind my back. If it's okay with Bill, will you post it here? Perhaps Bill himself will post it. I don't know. I just want to know what the heck I have to do to get the magic decoder ring and learn the secret hand shake. I want to be part of the club!

Guys!!!! Please!!! I am DROOLING HERE!!! And remember I don't have any more 7 pots - I will have to see if I can find any one around here with any ( highly doubt ). Otherwise i am just gonna have to wait til i grow them!!!

Oh I was wondering...Thank you Bill sooooo much for the Peppers seeds you have sent me for next season. I hope I am not being too very rude and if I am tell me so and I will apologize to everyone. I was wondering if someone would be so kind as to help me with just a few more types of seeds I would like to get for next season for Chef JJ and I, to kind of round out our collection. We would be forever greatful. We are looking for:
Jalapeno
Orange or Red Habenero
Chocolate Habenero
Scotch Bonnet
Thai
and the one I am looking for most - true Guam Boonie Peppers. I would be more than happy to pay for SABE to be sent to you for delivery of peppers. I think I trust ya'll more than anyone else with seeds right now!!! Thanks !! I hope I haven't offended anyone.

Hello all. Yes, I'm Jo's bro, the one who looked like he was praying. Tho' I actually wasn't, it more trying to crush my hands painfully to take my mind off the fire in my mouth. :/
Fortunately, I normally dine on jalapeno pizzas and add crushed red pepper to most of what I eat so I wasn't as bad off as my nephew, Chef_JJ. (snicker)
I did manage to taste the pepper before the pain started and I have to say it was kind of sweet/fruity. I'll definitely be trying more when I can.

You are 100% right Mark. I ate about half of a bhut yesterday and even though it was hot, it couldn't touch the 7 pot! I don't know what is normal, this is the first year I have grown these. I know the 7 pot can be hotter than the bhut, but the 7 pot I sampled made the bhut seem like a habanero! My wife is usually right on par with me as far as tasting spicy food/peppers. She swears she will NEVER try another 7 pot. I'm trying to build my tolerance so I can try it again soon.

Tim do your 7pot's have a strong smokey smell? It's unlike any of the peppers I have, Bhut, Red Hab, Ristra Cayenne, and Trinidad Scorpion. I also have Choclate Hab and Fatali pepper new this season so no ripe pods yet to compare.

I cut one open to dry and 4 days into drying open air in the kitchen the pungent pepper keeps the whole kitchen smelling like that pepper. None of the others I've dried had that type of powerful lingering smell. I can't complain I like it.

I honestly can't say for sure. I broke my nose several years ago, and my sense of smell is horrible. I do remember my wife commenting on how strong they smelled, just not sure if she meant smokey. I'm growing about 13 or 14 varieties and I know the flavor isn't similar to any of the other peppers I'm growing. At least what I taste for the first 10 seconds. The only thing I taste after 10 seconds is the roof of my mouth melting and dripping onto my teeth! :)

ottawapepper my Jonah plants are a little past the bloom stage i will update some photos soon so everyone can give a little insight.

peppernovice if you are up for a challenge (smile) i will ship you some fresh Bhut pods off the Vine that can or will beat the heat of the 7 pot you speak of .... just a thought ... i couldn't imagine someone eating a full fresh pod off 1 of my bhuts or even a half without posting some great reviews .

Habjolokia those look great!! Although I do see what you mean about the "mystery 7pots" - what is the concensus on what it is?

peppernovice that visual about the teeth....uuuggghhhhh!!! I really could have lived without that!! I will have nightmares now!! When I was little and my permanent teeth had JUST come in in the top front of my mouth, I ended up doing a nose dive over the handle bars of my bike, landing on my jaw thereby jamming my teeth together and busting the three front teeth that had just come in - exposing the nerve on one of them. Ever since then I have had nightmares about my teeth crumbling in my mouth and it is so realistic it is NASTY!!! So somethimes when people give me a visual like that it sends chills up my spine!!!!! YUCK!!!

OOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!! A Challenge!!! How cool!! Are you up for it peppernovice??? My bro said he wouldn't mind giving it a go but after his 7 pot 1/4" experience, I am not sure...he certainly would not be able to do a whole pod - only 1/2 max. He is insane if he thinks he wants to try a Bhut.

To anyone: My Hubby asks - have you ever seen someone have to go to the hospital because of eating Hot Peppers?

MsAisling i have never ate 1 that has sent me to the ER but anything is possible i guess depending on the person here i have only found 100% true pepper heads for the most part..... True super hots can send someone to the hospital if not handled with care IF they get all freaked out myself i have a very high tolerance to pain BUT don't get me wrong back in the day i have made many mistakes like many others....no gloves touching the eyes multiple times in a row all in the same night... or going to the rest room and let me for warn you very very bad idea but it does happen even to very experienced growers but never 1 time a hospital visit I myself suck it up and learn from mistakes .....LOL

ROFLMBO!!!!!! Oh my goodness!!! Armageddon, I did the touching the face after handling it was either Habs or Pequins I think it was (I am VERY fair skinned...some freckles on my armes but that is it, otherwise fairer than a newborn babies butt!!) I felt like my suncreen needed a boost so I just poured it in my hands and went to put it on and went for the face first...I was underneath the freezing cold water in the shower, using the hand held nozzle an inch from my face for at least 15 min!!

You are not the first guy to tell me about the going to the bathroom mistake...Oh my gosh, guys you got me on that one (thank goodness) I cannot imagine that pain nor do I want to!! But it makes me ever more mindful that that would be an excrutiatingly painful experience for me as well so I intend not to make it!

I told my husband just like anyone else I imagine some people can have reactions to the super hots, while some of the less experienced who don't realize exactly what they are getting into may try one and just totally freak out with fear not realizing what they were going to experience. People have to be totally aware of what these super hots are capable of doing to a person!! Especially an inexperienced on!!! We laugh and joke and carry on about them but that is because ya'll have built up a tolerance to them.

I have had abdominal surgery - I know I can never eat anything like that EVER, my youngest son has cystic fibrosis... because it messes with his pancreas, I don't know if eating super hots for him would be a good thing. On the other hand JJ has a metabolism that WON'T STOP!! I can't keep food in the house because of him!!! He is a bottomless pit!! So he has this metabolism that has allowed him to work up a tolerance like his Uncle to jalapenos and crushed red pepperon any food he eats!! It is a circus in this house!!!

I just hope someone reads these before ever trying a super hot and talks to someone first...someone experienced. It is definitely NOT something to be triffled with!!!!!

Oh my Gosh!! If you just didn't remind me of my father just then..."bumpy weapon grade thingies" ?????? You mean "Those thingamagigs? The whatchmacallits?? You know those funny lookin' hoozamathingies that burn the sam-hell out of your mouth?!?!"

Armageddon......I think I have some of your bhut seeds via way of ottawapepper. I didn't plant them this year, but I can next year if they are as potent as what you say. I'm not any near your level yet. I still haven't eaten a whole pod. I'm SLOWLY working my way up to it. I have however sampled every pepper I have grown. That includes the evil 7 pot of death!